10 health dangers that could harm your pet this summer

While summertime staples like fireworks and backyard barbecues are enjoyable for most families, pet owners should know the serious health risks that some warm-weather activities can pose.

Keeping animals comfortable as temperatures rise will help prevent one of the most serious dangers: life-threatening heat stroke.

Overheating

“Not everyone is aware of how quickly a dog or cat could react to overheating,” said Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) and Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist (CVA) Jeffrey Levy. “[It’s] a silent killer.”

Even just a few minutes of leaving a pet alone in a vehicle can be deadly.

Heat can soar to sweltering levels of more than 140 F, according to Brian Rooney, DVM.

“Temperatures can go up by 10 degrees in about 10 minutes, even when the windows are left open,” Rooney said.

In less than 24 hours, Veronica went from an unnamed tropical low to a Category 4 intense tropical cyclone as it spun off the northwestern coastline of Western Australia. The powerful cyclone is now taking aim at the Pilbara Coast.

More than a thousand people are feared dead in Mozambique and Zimbabwe as the flood catastrophe caused by Tropical Cyclone Idai rages on. Drier weather is expected to finally return later this weekend.